Liverpool named 'UK's Greatest Sporting City for 2017'

Liverpool has been crowned the 'UK's Greatest Sporting City for 2017' in a new study released on Tuesday.

Research carried out by ESPN and the University of Bath ranked Liverpool in first place after it scored highly in many of the 12 factors that fans identified as vital to defining a city as a great sporting location, including Choice (second), Venues (third), History (third) and community and social (both fourth).

Manchester was ranked second and London third in the overall study - which involves surveying thousands of supporters and analysing other data - while Liverpool also came out on top in the poll to identify the UK's best city to be a football fan.

Peter Moore, Liverpool FC's chief executive officer, said: "It is no surprise that Liverpool has been named as the UK's greatest sporting city in ESPN's research. Liverpool is an incredible city with a rich sporting heritage and filled with the most passionate fans in the world.

"We at Liverpool Football Club celebrate our 125th anniversary this year - a significant milestone that we're all immensely proud of. Although we are famous for being a great footballing city, our sporting prowess goes much wider - producing a host of successful athletes, boxers, cricketers, golfers, snooker players - the list is endless.

"The city of Liverpool is built on determination to succeed, unfaltering ambition and, most importantly, an incredible sense of community. The award is well-deserved recognition, not only for our city and its sporting heroes but for sports fans across the city."

For more information on the 'UK's Greatest Sporting City' study, click here.